WLU Sends Six Individuals to National Championships

WEST LIBERTY -- Six individuals will try to etch their name in the West Liberty University wrestling history books this weekend when they compete during the NCAA Division II National Championships inside America's Center in St. Louis.

There have been 48 Hilltoppers that have earned All-American status (NAIA/NCAA D-II) since 1962. Eight have stood atop the podium as national champions and two were four-time All-Americans (Brian Davis (1992-95) and Scott Shipman (1994-97).

However, according to the West Liberty University wrestling website, the program hasn't had an All-American since 2012 when Davis was the head coach. That is likely to change.

Headlining the six Hilltopper national qualifiers are 2019 national champions Tyler Warner (133) and Connor Craig (184). They won their titles while competing for Wheeling Jesuit University and were favorites to repeat last year for Pitt-Johnstown before COVID-19 halted everything.

Others headed to St. Louis are Cole Laya (125), Chase Morgan (165), Logan Kemp (197) and Francesco Borsellino (285).

"It's been a good year. All things considered, we've kept our focus on where we wanted to be, and to have it right in front of us now, these guys are ready, they're excited," coach Danny Irwin said. "I think St. Louis is going to be a good time for us."

Irwin, who was the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 2019 when he led the Cardinals to a runner-up spot, was selected as the Super Region 3 Coach of the Year last weekend when West Liberty captured the team title at Tiffin University.

"We have six awesome guys wrestling, but more importantly, we've got a group of 40 people that are all about each other."

Laya, Warner and Craig were Super Region 3 titlists, while Kemp and Borsellino were both runners up. Morgan received an at-large bid after voting by Super Region 3 coaches late Saturday.

Since the NCAA reduced all championship fields by 25 percent due to the pandemic, only the top two finishers in each weight class were guaranteed spots reserved at nationals. The remainder of the championship field in St. Louis was filled by selected third-place finishers --designated as wild cards -- from each of the six Super Regions.

Laya, a junior two-time All-American from East Fairmont High School, breezed to his second regional championship.

"Cole just keeps looking better and better every time out," Irwin said. "He's getting to his offense more and more and is extremely physical on top. He's a real sparkplug for us.

Laya, 13-1 and the No. 2 seed, received a first-round bye.

Warner, a three-time All-American from Claymont High School, surrendered only one point in the regional.

"Tyler is just so stingy," Irwin said. "Guys can't score on him and he scores what he needs to win. Having him and Cole at the top of the lineup has been an awesome 1-2 punch for us all year. I don't think any team in the country has a 1-2 punch like we do. They get rounds started off for us the right way."

The second-seeded Warner is 7-0 and meets Belmont Abbey's Ben Fielding (6-5) in his first match.

Morgan is a junior from Ripley who is 12-4.

"He's consistently getting better each day. He's believing in himself," Irwin said. "I think he will be a tough opponent for the guys he lines up across from."

Morgan faces fourth-seeded Baltazar Gonzalez of American International (3-0) in his opening bout.

Craig, a two-time All-American from Cincinnati Elder and No. 2 seed who is 11-0, defeated former teammate at WJU, Aidan Pasiuk of Ashland, for his Super Region 3 title.

"He's been there before. He's arguably one of the best wrestlers in the country in any weight class," Irwin offered. "He's been exciting to watch and I think he will light up the scoreboard like he's done all season."

Craig is paired with Gannon's Cam Page (5-2).

Kemp, a two-time national qualifier from Centerville, OH., will be making his third trip to the nationals.

"Logan is back for the third time, but he is the most prepared that he can be at this time of the season," Irwin admitted. "He's really mature. Having those couple of trips before got his head where it needs to be.

"I think he is a lot better than a No. 8 seed."

Kemp, now 14-2, meets Joseph Reimers (10-2) of Nebraska-Kearney in his first match.

Borsellino, a sophomore from Sandy Valley High School, is 12-1 but seeded No. 8.

"I also think Borso is a lot better than a No. 8 seed," Irwin said. "I think he will wrestle well above that seed this weekend."

Borsellino gets Landers' Cameron Coffman (9-2) in his opener.

Irwin likes the first-round matchups.

"They are all favorable. Any time you have the year that we did, you have to like where you sit. These guys aren't concerned with who they are wrestling, they just know how they want to wrestle," Irwin continued. "That's what we focus on … how we want to wrestle and getting to our spots. That is going to lead to really good things for us rather than this guy does this or this guy does that. This is what we do and we're going in with that in mind.

"I think we can do some damage and have some fun at the same time."

As far as a team championship?

"I firmly believe we can compete for a team title. We have six guys that are ready to go and it's going to take all six," he said. "These guys have to put that exclamation point on the year. I think we can be the last team standing Saturday night."